The Canadian armed forces on the eve
of the Great War were fairly small, and while having numerous Militia units
affiliated to and recruited in particular parts of Canada, there was only one
regular unit - the Royal Canadian Regiment. When war broke out the Militia
battalions were disbanded, and a Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) formed. This
comprised of numbered battalions (more than 260 by 1918), plus support units
such as Medical Corps, Engineers and Artillery. By 1916 there were four Canadian
divisions in France, forming the Canadian Corps.

UNIFORM

While the basic uniform very much
resembled the 1902 pattern Service Dress worn by British
soldiers, on the eve of the war a modified version of this was commonplace
in most Canadian Militia units. This was the Canadian 1903 pattern
uniform, which differs from the British issue in that there are nine buttons
instead of seven, 'pointed' cuff ends to the tunic sleeves, and detachable
shoulder boards. The latter were coloured according to arm of service: dark blue
for infantry, green for rifle regiments, red for artillery and yellow for
cavalry. This type of uniform was issued to the original CEF, and was worn in
the field well into 1916. The colour of these tunics were much 'browner' than
the 1902 SD tunic.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

In 1914, the Canadian Militia was
issued with a variety of different equipment, most of it in leather. A Canadian
version of the 1908 pattern webbing was in use, and in leather Oliver Pattern
and Mills Burrowes 1913 pattern was also available. From photographs, all
three versions could (and were) worn by men in the same unit. When the CEF was
formed there was hardly enough equipment to go round, so a variety of all three
sets of personal kit were in use. The leather equipment did not survive long in
France, as it was found to be inferior. Webbing took over, although in some
cases the 1914 pattern equipment, produced in England, was also available to the
CEF.

One item peculiar to Canadian soldiers
was the MacAdam shield shovel. This was a Swiss invention, and was a
small entrenching tool with a loophole in the shovel blade - making it
potentially useful as a digging tool and a shield. However, front line
conditions showed that the handle was too short, and the whole too low to shoot
through. I have read accounts of it still in use on the Somme in 1916, but the
entire shipment of 22,000 shovels was scrapped by the Canadian government in
1917.

WEAPONS

The main weapon in use at this time
was the Canadian Ross Rifle. Much has been written about this rifle, and
while it was very accurate on the ranges in Valcartier, it proved problematic
under war conditions. It did not like mud, and regularly jammed. Many Canadian
soldiers were accidentally killed while trying to kick open the bolt, in an
attempt to extract a round only causing it to be fired. Some snipers kept the
Ross, but following Second Ypres soldiers of 1st (Canadian) Division began to
acquire the Short Magazine Lee Enfield, and by the time of the Battle of the St
Eloi craters in the Spring of 1916, most had the SMLE.

PHOTO GALLERY

Canadian Militia 1911.

These Buglers wear the pre-war dress
tunics, which were used as the basic design for the uniforms issued to 1st
(Canadian) Division in 1914. The Sergeant in front wears the khaki version of
this tunic. (ŠPaul Reed)